The opening of Penn College’s two-day Career Fair, being held in the Field House and Bardo Gym, attracted broadcast interest from the area’s NBC and ABC affiliates. WBRE’s Morgan Parrish and WNEP’s Kristina Papa both visited campus Tuesday, talking with Career Services staff, students and employers involved in the premier networking event.
Pennsylvania College of Technology students have a new avenue to flex their competitive muscles in support of their school. The college has formed an esports team that will challenge other colleges and universities for video game supremacy beginning later this month.
“A large portion of our student body consists of active gamers. Establishing a team allows us to formalize that interest in the name of Penn College and facilitate participation for the students in recognized competitions against other schools,” said John D. Vandevere, director of athletics. “The team will be a tremendous outlet for the students, and will serve as a campus life enhancement.”
College-minded students, overwhelmed by piles of possibilities as they consider which career path to follow, can sort through the clutter of options during a revealing visit to Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Spring Open House.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 6, members of the Penn College community will welcome potential students and their families, sharing their unique experiences from an institution that has helped tomorrow makers find their niche for more than a century.
Public Relations & Marketing at Pennsylvania College of Technology earned four honors in the 2019 CUPPIE Awards for Creative Excellence in Marketing and Communications in Education.
Penn College captured three Gold CUPPIE Awards and a single Bronze CUPPIE in the annual competition sponsored by CUPRAP (College and University Public Relations and Associated Professionals). A total of 34 schools and/or organizations received awards this year from more than 400 entries submitted. The awards were presented March 14 in Lancaster.
Pennsylvania College of Technology’s two-year entry in the National Association of Home Builders’ student competition brought home a championship trophy from Las Vegas – the institution’s first team to do so since 2011.
Students from the college’s School of Construction & Design Technologies finished first among 14 teams in their category when winners were announced at the association’s recent International Builders’ Show. Members are Nicholas T. Bonsell, of Tyrone; Hanna M. Gibson and Nathan I. Tabon, both of Allison Park; Joe J. Hetrick, of Painted Post, New York; and Drew P. Miller of Williamsport.
“Each member of this team brought interdisciplinary strengths to the competition, and the outcome they were striving for was achieved,” noted Carol A. Lugg, dean of construction and design technologies. “Veteran coach Barney Kahn does a great job of developing and inspiring the team. His dedication to this event is a critical component for their success.”
A dedicated group of Pennsylvania College of Technology welding students added the “crown” to a stunning remodeling job for a McEwensville homeowner.
Seven members of the college’s American Welding Society student chapter and faculty adviser Steve J. Kopera volunteered their time and expertise to craft and install a 6-by-9-foot “tree of life” metallic sculpture at a former church.
Penn College HVAC faculty members attending an industry conference are (from left) Kenneth E. Welker Jr., Jason K. Killinger, Daniel J. Harris and Bradley Q. Kishbaugh.
Faculty members from the School of Construction & Design Technologies were among nearly 800 instructors from across the country who attended this month’s 13th annual HVAC Excellence Conference at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas. The conference provided more than 70 sessions from the latest instructional methods to accommodate Generation Z’s learning styles to the fast-growing technological advancements being introduced into the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration market to meet today’s required energy standards. “It’s extremely difficult to keep up with technological advancements in the HVCAR industry,“ said Jason W. Killinger, an assistant professor of HVAC technology and co-department head. “Advancements in our industry are being made faster than ever. This conference has provided us with specialized training to be more effective and to ensure training we offer is aligned with industry to educate successful HVAC technicians and designers.” Killinger was joined at the conference by faculty colleagues Kenneth E. Welker Jr., Daniel J. Harris and Bradley Q. Kishbaugh. Photo provided
Enjoying their exchange in the thermoforming lab with Bradley M. Webb, assistant dean of industrial, computing and engineering technologies, are (from left) Pickett, Hahn, Diamond, Sankey, Wheeland and Oberlander.In the welding lab, Pickett and Everett appreciate insights shared by David R. Cotner, dean of industrial, computing and engineering technologies.President Davie Jane Gilmour (center) leads a brisk walk across campus, as “Spring Break” begins in name only.Sandra L. Richmond (center), dean of nursing and health sciences, invites guests to identify the faculty member photographed in the college’s first dental hygiene lab. (The answer? President Gilmour!)During lunch in the Thompson Professional Development Center, the group hears apprenticeship information from Shannon M. Munro, vice president for workforce development.
Members of the state House Majority Policy Committee were among the Friday visitors to main campus, delighting in an illuminating tour of select instructional labs and learning about Penn College’s role – both academically and through apprenticeships – in enhancing the commonwealth’s skilled labor pool. College administrators, joined by local Reps. Garth D. Everett and Jeff C. Wheeland, welcomed a contingent of Republican lawmakers who research and generate policy proposals aimed at improving the quality of life in The Keystone State: Chair Donna Oberlander, of Clarion; Russell H. Diamond, of Lebanon; Marcia M. Hahn, Wind Gap; Tina Pickett, of Towanda; and Tommy Sankey, of Clearfield. The group, joined by legislative staff and local media, toured instructional areas for nursing, dental hygiene, plastics and welding; learned about efforts toward workforce development; and traveled to Lycoming Engines, a mainstay of the local economy for whom the college’s Metal Trades Center is named.
The legislator is welcomed by Patrick Marty (back to camera), chief of staff/assistant to the president for college relations. On the Earth Science Center tour are (from left) Michael J. Reed, vice president for academic operations/associate provost; Johns (hidden from view); Owlett; state Rep. Garth Everett, R-Muncy; Justin W. Beishline, assistant dean of transportation and natural resources technologies; and Kyle A. Smith, executive director of the Penn College Foundation.The representatives talk with tomorrow’s well-tooled workforce …… and converse in a lab, surrounded by big-wheeled examples of corporate philanthropy.Owlett – returning to a campus he toured as an 11th-grader – learns about the ESC’s lumber kiln outside one of higher education’s few functioning sawmills in Pennsylvania. Providing details is Erich R. Doebler, a member of Penn College’s forestry faculty.
State Rep. Clinton D. Owlett, who represents the 68th legislative district (all of Tioga County and parts of Bradford and Potter counties), visited Penn College on Thursday. Accompanied by aide Kim Johns, Owlett began at the Schneebeli Earth Science Center, hearing themes that would echo throughout his day: the college’s status as a “true commonwealth asset,” the primacy of business and industry partnerships, students’ enhanced marketability from the incorporation of core subjects in their chosen majors, and the life-altering and career-building potential of “degrees that work.” After touring diesel, power generation and forestry laboratories, Owlett traveled to main campus for lunch at Le Jeune Chef Restaurant and stops at nursing, collision repair/automotive restoration, and culinary arts and hospitality. An assemblyman since May 2018, the Wellsboro Republican serves on the Agriculture & Rural Affairs, Appropriations, Commerce, Game & Fisheries, and Health committees.
For the third time, Student Affairs at Pennsylvania College of Technology has been nationally recognized for its focus on a diverse and inclusive employment environment.
Penn College’s selection as one of 20 institutions named the 2019 Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs was announced by the American College Personnel Association and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine. Penn College was also among the honorees in 2015 and 2018.
“We are honored to be recognized for a third time as a Most Promising Place to Work in Student Affairs,” said Elliott Strickland, vice president for student affairs. “The support we receive at Penn College, as we work for the benefit of our students, is incredible. It allows us to build a dynamic team that works tirelessly for the success of our students. We are so thankful for this national recognition of the work we do at Penn College.”
A $9,500 sustaining grant from PPL Foundation will allow Pennsylvania College of Technology to purchase instructional equipment for a Penn College Plastics Mobile Lab, a resource for educating groups about career opportunities and the ongoing demand for qualified workers in the plastics industry.
The PPL grant will fund the college’s purchase of tabletop rotational molder and thermoforming units for the mobile lab. The lab will offer a hands-on experience in various plastics operations for the participants, who will include students and educators attending events at area schools.
The Penn College Plastics Mobile Lab may also work in conjunction with SPE’s PlastiVan program, which travels to schools and companies throughout North America, educating people of all ages about plastics chemistry, history, processing, manufacturing, sustainability and applications.
Bower (in hat) joins colleagues in an example of pollarding, a method of pruning that keeps trees smaller than they would normally grow.
A member of Penn College’s landscape/horticulture faculty traveled to the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories in Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of a two-day summit made possible by the Arbor Day Foundation. Carl J. Bower Jr., an assistant professor of horticulture, was among representatives of colleges and universities – from as far away as Alaska – who learned more about trees on their campuses and how to better care for them. During the Feb. 12-13 event, Bartlett employees discussed and demonstrated pruning techniques, tree support systems and tree risk management. In addition, participants got a look into the lab’s research on root development and specialty pruning. “A highlight was learning how schools connected with their students to understand the value of the trees on their campuses,” said Bower, a 1993 alumnus of Penn College and a faculty member since 2001. The foundation sponsors the Tree Campus USA program, which has recognized Penn College in each of the past three years for effective forest management and engagement of employees and students in conservation goals. Photo provided
Secondary students go through their paces with poise, professionalism and pride in representing their school.Competition areas dovetaul perfectly with the instructional labs at Penn College, from collision repair …… to construction carpentry.
Penn College once again hosted the annual SkillsUSA District 6 competition in February, involving approximately 285 students from 12 area vocational and high schools. “The students were spread out across the campus competing in various skilled and leadership events,” said James N. Colton II, assistant professor of welding and the college’s SkillsUSA adviser. “The event was another success and can be credited to all the Penn College employees who helped to run the events and shuttle students to competition areas.” Winners at the regional competition, which was delayed by a Jan. 25 snowstorm, will go on to the state conference at Hershey in mid-April. Photos by Rachel A. Eirmann, student photographer
A Pennsylvania College of Technology faculty duo detailed at a recent major cybersecurity conference their pioneering efforts to address the critical shortage of professionals in the field.
Jacob R. Miller and Sandra Gorka, associate professors of computer science, presented “Kinder Garten Security: Teaching the Pre-college Crowd” at ShmooCon 2019 in Washington, D.C.
The annual East Coast hacker convention is devoted to technology impacting information security and discussions regarding the field. The conference is offered by The Shmoo Group, comprised of worldwide security professionals who donate their time and expertise for information security research and development.
Penn College students are again helping Soup and a Bowl, providing both of the title ingredients for the annual Central Pennsylvania Food Bank fundraiser to be held Friday, March 1, at the Genetti Hotel, 200 W. Fourth St.
Tickets are $30 in advance (or $35 at the door) and may be purchased by visiting the food bank’s website or by calling 570-321-8023. Three seating times – 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. – are available.
The nonprofit organization’s mission is to reduce hunger in 27 counties across Pennsylvania, including Lycoming County. By working with more than 1,000 partner agencies and programs, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank provided more 46 million meals in 2018, serving more than 140,000 neighbors each month.
Students of Penn College ceramics instructor David A. Stabley will again hone their skills – and use them to give back to the community – by making bowls for the event. And to fill those bowls, School of Business & Hospitality students will continue their longtime tradition of contributing soup.
Penn College students are again helping Soup and a Bowl, providing both of the title ingredients for the annual Central Pennsylvania Food Bank fundraiser to be held Friday, March 1, at the Genetti Hotel, 200 W. Fourth St.